Tales of the Devil's Hole Days: Genesis
by Ghislaine Emrys
Summary: In the beginning, there was Devil's Hole. And then there was Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry, in five stories that offer a glimpse of life on the outlaw trail.


**TALES OF THE DEVIL'S HOLE DAYS: GENESIS**

Tale #1: Survival

_Look with favor upon a bold beginning._

_- Virgil_

"You're the new boy, ain't ya?"

There were many ways I could answer that but most of them would've gotten me thrown right out of Devil's Hole so I kept my mouth shut and nodded instead. I'd only arrived the night before and hoped to stay awhile.

The man who approached me smiled and revealed a mouth full of brown teeth when he spoke. "I'm Kyle. Glad ta meet ya." He stuck out his tobacco-stained hand and after a moment's hesitation I shook it.

Kyle was the first outlaw to say a friendly word to me. I took advantage of the opportunity and asked, "So, Kyle, what's a fella got to do to be allowed to stay here?"

"Well," he drawled, and then stopped to think about it. "Ya gotta prove yourself. Ain't nobody kin stay if'n he cain't do the work. Plus he's gotta git along with the rest o' us. Big Jim don't like it much if a fella's always arguin' and fightin' with the rest o' the gang."

That made sense. I hadn't spoken with the leader of the Devil's Hole Gang yet but I'd heard he was a fair man, respected by the men he led.

After the problem with my last job, I'd decided I could do worse than join the Devil's Hole Gang. If they'd have me. I was only nineteen and hadn't ridden with a gang for very long. I knew what I was capable of, but I hadn't been given the chance yet. I was hoping Big Jim was a gambler, like me.

"How do I prove myself?"

"Well..." Kyle deliberated. "Ya gotta pass the test."

"What kind of test?"

"You'll see."

"When's this test happen?"

"Cain't rightly say." Kyle spat a mouthful of tobacco juice onto the ground, narrowly missing my right boot. "But if'n ya don't pass, ya gotta leave straight away." He smiled at me, spat again, then ambled on back to the bunkhouse.

==0==0==0==

Sheesh! If I'd known I'd be spending several hours brushing down all the horses, mending miles of harness, chopping what seems like enough wood to see the gang through two winters in Wyoming, and washing all the breakfast dishes at the pump, I might've reconsidered my decision. All this work is hard on the back!

I washed the grime off my face and neck, then looked over to the bunkhouse. Some men were playing poker inside. Sure would like to join them. But no one's invited me and I didn't want to push it so I just stayed where I was. No sense in ruffling feathers if it ain't necessary. Besides, with any luck, I'd have plenty of opportunity to play in the weeks and months to come.

Maybe the test Kyle mentioned was to see how long I could last before I started complaining about all the work they told me to do. Well, I'd prove I was the best horse-brushing, harness-mending, wood-chopping, and dish-washing gang member ever! I smiled as I thought what Jed would say, seeing me act like a servant who's bowing and scraping his way through the day without a scrap of thanks for his efforts. He'd crinkle his eyes and smirk, that's for sure. But he'd also understand why I was doing it, and I'm as stubborn as him when I want something, and lots trickier.

"You! Heyes!" A shout brought me back to the present. The man everyone called Wheat was calling. "You kin take a break now. If ya wanna eat lunch, come and git it over here."

I scooped up the pile of dishes from the table next to the pump, where I'd put them to dry, and hurried over to the bunkhouse.

Wheat lounged against the doorframe, looking at me with a critical eye.

"Thank you, sir," I said in a neutral voice. What I really wanted to say was it was about time. But this was the man who'd given me all the work and if it was a test, I sure didn't want to rile him.

"Don't look like yer done with all them dishes." Wheat pointed to a plate. "There's a speck o' food still on it. Don'tcha know how ta wash dishes, boy?"

I held my breath a moment, and reminded myself that patience was a virtue. Didn't want to ruin things by saying something foolish when all I had to do was flatter him.

"Sorry, sir. I know I'm not as good as you at lots of things but I tried my best. Please give me another chance and let me wash the lunch dishes." Wheat puffed up and I was careful not to smile. Good thing I still had my silver tongue. I'd need it in a place like this.

"Nah, Big Jim wants ta talk ta ya after lunch."

==0==0==0==

In the central area of the compound, between the bunkhouse and the leader's cabin, several chairs were set in a semi-circle. One chair was facing all the others.

Wheat pointed to the solitary chair. "You sit there."

Men emerged from the bunkhouse, the barn, and other outbuildings and sat down. They were smiling and chatting, and I could see they were curious and full of anticipation.

I didn't know what was going on and I felt myself swallow before I could prevent it. Maybe no one had noticed, being so busy talking and all.

Finally, Santana came through the door of his cabin. "Gentlemen, we are having this council because Mr. Heyes wants to join the Devil's Hole Gang. You know the drill. I will make the usual inquiries and then if you wish, you may each ask one question. After that, I will decide, and my word is final. Is that clear?"

The men nodded.

I was intrigued. Jim Plummer had always kept everything to himself, had decided everything and expected his men to carry out his orders without question. A dictator, like one of them Roman emperors they taught us about at the Home. Did Santana really let the gang have such a big say in how things were run? I didn't think a gang could be a real democracy but maybe he just wanted to give his men the idea it was.

Maybe it was his way of keeping control over everything. It looked like I could learn a lot from Big Jim Santana. If he'd give me the chance.

"Mr. Heyes." Santana's voice pulled me out of my reverie. "I value honesty. Any attempt to lie to us will result in your immediate departure. Based on what you tell us here, I will decide whether or not you can stay. If I tell you to leave, you will do so without argument. If I allow you to stay, the men will show you where you can sleep. Do you have any questions before we get started?"

'Course I had questions! I wanted to know if I had to do all those chores every day; I sure hoped not though I suspected all the newcomers had to put up with that. But I hoped it wouldn't be for too long 'cos that's not why I came to Devil's Hole. I wanted to know when I could go on a job. I wanted to know how much of the haul I'd get if I opened a safe for them. I wanted to know who's a good poker player and where I'd sleep and how did they come and go from the hideout safely. But mostly I wanted to know how long it'd be before Santana'll gave me his decision. I hoped he wouldn't take too long, 'cos I didn't like not being in control of my fate. I was just about to ask my first question but… Dang. I was too late.

"All right then. Let's begin. First, please state your full name."

"Hannibal Heyes." I heard a few snickers but couldn't tell where they came from. I would never understand why my folks named me Hannibal. As soon as I was old enough, I shed my first name and told everyone to call me Heyes, just Heyes. At least I was named after a famous general who accomplished something remarkable. I didn't think being called a plant or a wolf was anything to be particularly proud of.

"Where are you from?"

"You mean originally?" As soon as I said it, I was sorry. It came out sounding flippant and I sure hadn't meant it that way. "I'm originally from Kansas but… Lately, I've moved around a lot." I hoped that was good enough.

It wasn't. "Tell us what you've been doing lately." It was said with a smile but the kind a predator uses when he's about to pounce on his next meal.

I knew what I said next could be decisive so I took a moment to think before I answered. "I've been in Wyoming, and also Colorado and Arizona. I like the West and I've drifted around a lot."

Santana regarded me knowingly. I got the impression he knew more about me than he was letting on. "You didn't answer the question."

"Sorry, sir." It never hurt to be polite.

"I was working for a man named Plummer for a while. We did some jobs in different places but then, uh, we split up and, well, here I am."

"You're saying you rode with the Plummer Gang. But not anymore. Why?"

I had a feeling my future depended on how I answered this question. I didn't know if Santana knew what happened after our last job, but I chose my words real carefully.

"We robbed a train, got a payroll worth $30,000. There was trouble with a posse so we split up to make it harder for them. We all made it back to our hideout. All of us except for Plummer. No one's seen him since. That was seven months ago."

I paused. "Plummer had the haul." I stared at Santana, trying to gauge the man's reaction.

"You think he set you up and then took off with the money on his own, is that it?"

That was exactly what I thought. But I wanted to be fair so I said, "He could've been hurt, or maybe he got caught. We searched for him, stayed a month in the area, but we didn't find him. We figured if he'd been caught, we'd have heard about it."

"Maybe." Santana scrutinized me as I sat there confidently. I mean, why should I let myself be intimidated by the other men sitting in front of me? They weren't any more special than me. I showed the proper respect, but I knew Santana sensed there was something more. Was it a hunger, a desire, a need? I wasn't sure myself but he recognized it. Maybe he'd had it, too, long ago.

I could almost see him thinking: Heyes has a spark in him, an intelligence just waiting to be kindled. Santana was smart; he knew it'd be dangerous to have me around, 'cos I was smart, too. But now I knew he was also a gambler 'cos the faraway look in his eyes told me he wanted to see how high I could fly, given the right circumstances. More than ever, I wanted to stay.

"Why do you want to join us? What makes you think things'd be any different here?"

"Mr. Santana, people have heard of you and the Devil's Hole Gang. You're a fair man, and you treat your men well. I want to ride with a gang like that, not a gang that doesn't care how many people get hurt when they do their robbing. I don't want to be hanged for murder. I'd be right pleased if you'd have me." That sounded good to my ears, and it was even true.

"You mean you didn't like being on your own for six months and you figure you'll do better if you're with a gang."

I stared back at him, not breaking eye contact when I answered. "Yes." That was exactly right. Alone, I had no one to watch my back. Alone, I couldn't take risks, even if they had a big pay-off, 'cos it'd be too easy to get jumped—or worse—later. But in a gang, well, a gang was a lot safer. We might not be family, might not even be friends, but we looked out for each other. That was all I needed and it was good enough for me.

Santana smiled. "All right, boys, you can question him."

From the way he looked at me, I figured one hurdle was overcome. Now I just needed to convince the rest of the gang.

Wheat was the first to speak. "You're nothin' but a boy. What kin you do ta help us?"

"I'm nineteen," I corrected him. "I rode with Jim Plummer and his gang for about a year. I'm a good lookout. I can get information and talk to people without making them suspicious. I'm not a fast draw but I can shoot well. I'll do my share of the work."

Some of the men were murmuring. Wheat didn't look impressed.

I told them something else, something I knew they'd appreciate. "And I can open safes."

I was right. Even Santana, who'd been watching the proceedings nonchalantly, regarded me with interest then. I caught the glance and gave a half smile. I had them.

But Wheat wasn't ready to yield just yet. "Oh yeah? That ain't hard. Even Kyle kin open safes. Just need some dynamite and fuses."

"Not that way. I can open them by manipulating the tumblers."

"Why'd ya wanna do that? It's a lot faster to blow 'em!" Wheat scoffed.

"Yeah, but if you use a little finesse, it's a lot safer and there's much less chance anyone'll get hurt." And it's a lot more fun, too, I added silently.

"Man's got a point, Wheat," the gang member called Hank said. "What I want to know is, would you kill someone, in a posse, say, if it'd save a member of the gang?"

Hank looked at me intently. It was clear he had a personal reason for asking. Maybe there was a time when Hank had to do exactly that. Or maybe he should have used his gun one time and didn't, and a member of the gang had died.

I kept my eyes on the man as I began to answer and then swept my gaze around the circle, finally resting on Santana as I finished. "No," I said quietly. "I wouldn't. I'm not afraid to use my gun; fact is, I have used it. If someone is shooting at me or mine, I'll defend myself and them, but I won't shoot to kill. Not if I can help it. Like I said before, I don't want to hang for murder. Ain't no need to kill a man if I can hit him in the shoulder or the leg; that'll stop him just the same." My opinion might not be real popular here but I'd found out through experience what a bullet could do to a man.

Hank dropped his eyes and I wondered if I'd ever find out what happened. I couldn't tell if he was satisfied with my response or not. The other men were also quiet as they chewed on my words.

After a minute, a man I had heard called Preacher stood up. "The Lord says thou shalt not steal. But that's what we do here. What do you say to that?" He held a book in his left hand and I could see it was a Bible.

So he really was a preacher. How did he ever get involved with the Devil's Hole Gang? Did he see himself as Friar Tuck? "The Lord moves in mysterious ways." I grinned. "He helps those who help themselves. I figure we're helping ourselves…to all that money!"

Preacher laughed and held his palms out towards me as he said, "Bless you, my son."

There was some fidgeting among the men. I watched the interaction with interest and noted how the men related to each other. It was always useful to know things like that. Wheat was trying to prevent Kyle from speaking but Lobo was encouraging him.

With a look of confusion on his face at Wheat's behavior, Kyle finally managed to ask his question. "How do ya celebrate a job?"

I was tempted to say: Rarely, lately.

But before I could respond, Wheat said, "What Kyle means is, whaddaya like ta do when ya go hurrah a town?"

I shrugged. "Same as you, I guess. Go to a saloon and drink some good whiskey, play some poker."

"And wimmin?" Wheat checked.

"Goes without saying, don't it?" I smiled. I wasn't about to admit I preferred winning money at cards over spending money on saloon girls.

Wheat glared at me. "That's fine, just so long as ya stay outta trouble!" He wasn't sure if I was making fun of him or not, but he clearly didn't like the tone of my voice.

I couldn't help it, though; there was just something about the man that irked me, but I knew when to back down. "Yes, sir. I won't do anything to cause a problem after a job."

"Alright, then." He sat back, mollified. So did Wheat actually think he'd established his authority over me, that I'd been put in my place, just like that? If he did, I sure was going to enjoy polishing my silver tongue on him every chance I got.

When it was clear no one else had any more questions for me, Santana walked around to the front of the circle. The gang members looked at him respectfully when he spoke.

"Thank you, gentlemen; you've been a big help. Hannibal, please come with me."

I followed Santana to the leader's cabin. He didn't say anything until he sat down. I remained standing. I was nervous but wasn't about to show it.

"Hannibal, I heard about Jim Plummer and what happened after that job. This gang is different and if I allow you to stay, you'll find that out."

So he did know. That was interesting. "Yes, sir. That's why I came to Devil's Hole."

Santana continued as if he hadn't heard me. "I've also heard about you. Heard about your talent with safes. We could use that here."

He looked hard at me. I couldn't tell what Santana was speculating but he obviously knew I was more desperate than I let on. Desperation was good when it made a man work harder than he normally would, but it was bad if it made a man reckless or careless. I couldn't afford careless. I willed myself to look calm and relaxed.

"Go back to the bunkhouse. I'll let you know my decision shortly."

"Yes, sir." I walked away slowly, hoping I'd hear good news soon.

I spent the time pondering. I hadn't gotten rattled when the gang questioned me. I figured that was in my favor; it showed I didn't crack under pressure, always a good thing for someone on the wrong side of the law. Riding with Plummer's gang had been fun; I'd used my skills when allowed and learned more about safe-cracking from the practice of it but, if I was honest, I was glad when the gang broke up 'cos I was getting a mite uncomfortable with the gunplay. But the Devil's Hole Gang was big-time and if I stayed here, I really would be an outlaw. There, I actually said it! There'd be no turning back. Maybe someday there'd even be a poster with my own name on it. Well, I reckoned that was okay. It wasn't like I was giving up a real good life or something.

==0==0==0==

An hour later, I was summoned back to the leader's cabin, where I found Santana sitting in the same chair as when I'd left him. Again, I stood in front of the leader of the Devil's Hole Gang, hiding how nervous I felt.

Santana looked at me seriously. "I've made my decision, Hannibal."

My heart started pounding and maybe he saw the hope that flickered briefly in my eyes before I tamped it down.

"Yes, sir." I waited to hear my future.

"I've decided to let you stay." Santana grinned. "Welcome to the Devil's Hole Gang!"

"Thank you, sir! Thank you very much! I promise you won't regret it." I pumped the hand Santana held out to me, feeling a big smile take over my face, happy and relieved and anxious and excited all at the same time as my new life began.

* * *

Tale #2: Appraisal

_Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life._

_- Mark Twain_

It didn't take Big Jim Santana long to decide who was going to repair the roof of the bunkhouse. He looked out from the porch of the leader's cabin and beckoned Wheat over. "Tell Heyes I want to see him."

"Sure thing," Wheat said, and walked off to find the young man who'd recently joined the Devil's Hole Gang. He located Heyes in the bunkhouse, playing poker with Kyle, Hank, Lobo, and a couple other men. It was late in the morning and it looked like they'd been playing for a while already.

Wheat went up to Heyes who, he noticed, was holding three of a kind, jacks high. "Big Jim wants ya."

"All right." Heyes made no move to get up. "As soon as this hand is over."

"Now."

"Won't take but a moment to finish." Heyes looked at Kyle. "You in?"

"Uh, no, I fold," Kyle said nervously, looking at Wheat. He tossed his cards face down on the table. "Best you go on over like Wheat says."

Heyes laid his cards down and scooped up the pot. "Thanks, boys. Be glad to play again later." He turned to Wheat and smiled. "See? That didn't take long at all, now, did it?"

Wheat scowled and walked out, followed by Heyes who was inwardly amused at how easy it was to rile the older man.

Big Jim was waiting for them at the leader's cabin. "Thanks, Wheat. That'll be all for now." Wheat slowly walked away, hoping to hear Big Jim criticize the brash upstart.

"Heyes, there's a job that needs to be done and you're just the man to do it. See that roof?" Big Jim pointed to the bunkhouse. "It needs repairing. We got some new shingles and I want you to put them up. Shouldn't take more than a day to do it."

"I'm not a very good carpenter," Heyes began, trying to get out of it. He'd planned on spending the day relaxing and playing poker with the rest of the gang, to try and get a feel for what he'd gotten himself into by coming to Devil's Hole. "Surely there's someone else who's better with a hammer and nails than me."

"Si, maybe, but it's you I have chosen. Preacher will show you where all the tools are." Big Jim looked at Heyes until he nodded, resigned to his fate.

==0==0==0==

Heyes pulled out his pocket watch and was chagrined to find only half an hour had gone by. It sure was going to be a long day! He wiped the sweat off his face with his blue bandana and lackadaisically banged another shingle into place. He thought about all the money he was losing out on by not playing poker with the other outlaws, over in the bunkhouse.

He hit his thumb and yelped. He'd barely made a start on replacing the shingles. The hours stretched in front of him and the sun was getting hotter. Maybe he could persuade some of the other men to do the work for him. His cousin had always said he had a silver tongue. Maybe now would be a good time to use it.

Heyes took inventory of his possessions, trying to decide what he could use to convince Hank or Lobo, Kyle for sure, maybe even Wheat, to do some of his work. It didn't take long to take stock. Regrettably, aside from a couple books, his gun, a few extra shirts, his deck of cards and his hat, he really didn't have anything of value to offer. Heyes discarded that plan. He banged the next shingle into the roof especially hard.

==0==0==0==

Wheat strolled by a while later, whistling tunelessly. Heyes pretended not to notice him but he hammered the next few shingles into place very carefully. Wheat looked around several times as he walked back and forth, as if he were searching for something, but Heyes just kept working.

"Nice day, today, ain't it? Mebbe I'll go into town and have me some fun."

Descending to the ground, Heyes grabbed a shingle from the pile, carried it back up to the roof, and banged it into place.

"Or mebbe I'll go swimmin' in the river. It's kinda hot here. Be nice to cool off."

Another shingle was painstakingly hauled up and dutifully nailed to the roof.

"Yessir, that might be just the thing for a day like today. Too hot to do much else 'cept take it easy."

Heyes continued to ignore Wheat. Finally, Wheat went over to where Heyes was and said, "Me and the boys are gonna go relax at the river. I'd invite ya but I know ya gotta do this work here. Mebbe another time, Heyes."

"Oh, you talking to me? I didn't hear you, Wheat. Sorry. What'd you say?" Heyes looked down at the man who stood below, and smiled.

"I said it's too bad ya gotta stay here and work the whole day while the rest of us have some fun at the river."

"Well," Heyes said thoughtfully, "I ain't so sure I'd call this work."

Wheat stared at the younger man in disbelief. "That ain't work? What is it then?"

"It's an honor, Wheat, that's what it is." Heyes nodded solemnly at the other man's expression. "It ain't everyone who's trusted by the leader to do such an important job. Why, I was right glad when Big Jim asked me to repair the roof! He knows I'll do it well."

Wheat didn't like the idea of Big Jim thinking Heyes was the best man for the job. He knew he could do it just as well, maybe better. He was, after all, older and more experienced than Heyes.

"Heyes, ya better let me do the rest o' this," Wheat said, nodding to the shingles in a heap on the ground nearby.

"Well… I don't know, Wheat. It's got to be done right and Big Jim did give the job to me." Heyes looked at him with regret. "I don't think I should let you do it."

"C'mon, Heyes. You ain't been here that long so ya don't know where all the leaks are. I kin patch the roof so it's just like new." He saw Heyes waver. "Tell ya what. I'll give ya that bottle o' whisky I been saving if ya let me take over fer ya."

Heyes gave in. "I guess if you put it like that, then, okay, Wheat, you can come on up."

Wheat climbed onto the roof and started working. He was much faster than Heyes, who was happy to take a break and sit in the shade of a nearby tree for a while.

"Be careful, Wheat," he called. "Make sure you do it right! We don't want any leaks when it rains, you hear?"

Wheat grunted and continued working. He knew he was doing a good job. An hour passed and the roof was almost a quarter done. Other men wandered by to see what was going on.

"Lookee here, boys! Wheat's on the roof! Watcha doin' up there, Wheat?" Kyle squinted into the midday sun.

"What's it look like? I'm fixin' the roof, Kyle!"

"But… Big Jim tol' Heyes ta do it, din't he?"

"Yeah, but I figgered I'd better do it 'cos it's gotta be done right. Ain't just anyone kin do a job like this. It takes special skills."

Kyle thought on that. "Wheat, I got special skills. Lemme do some o' the work."

"I don't know, Kyle. You sure you kin put those shingles in the exact place they need to go? I don't wanna get wet when it rains."

"'Course I kin. Ain't I the one what puts the dynamite on all them safes? I gotta put them sticks in jus' the right place ta blow 'em open."

Kyle turned to Heyes. "You tell 'im, Heyes, will ya?" he pleaded.

"I don't know, Kyle. It's a pretty big job, making sure the roof is repaired properly." Heyes looked at him doubtfully . "You sure you can do it well? I don't want Big Jim mad at me."

Kyle really wanted to prove he was as capable as Wheat. "Heyes, I'll give ya some o' my tobaccy if ya tell Wheat ta lemme do some o' the work."

Heyes needed only a moment to think about it. "Hey, Wheat," he called. "Let Kyle have a turn! If his work ain't good enough, you can always rip it out and do it over."

Wheat clambered down and handed the hammer to Kyle. He stood by and watched the other man closely, making sure he did a good job.

After Kyle had pounded in shingles for an hour, Heyes yelled up and told him to pass the hammer on to Hank, who wanted a chance, too. Over the next several hours, other members of the gang also took their turn at repairing the roof. By then, Heyes had quite a collection of artifacts gleaned from those men eager to prove what good carpenters they were: a deck of cards from Hank (not that Heyes needed another deck), two apples from Lobo (he'd give them to his horse), some new bullets (he hoped he wouldn't need them), a two-headed coin (he'd keep that for himself—no telling when it'd come in handy), a long red ribbon (meant for a saloon girl, and Heyes wondered what'd happen when she didn't get it), and assorted other trinkets of questionable worth.

At last, the roof was done. Heyes hadn't touched the hammer since late morning and now the sun was low in the sky. He climbed to the roof and inspected the work. In a few places, it looked like the shingles hadn't been hammered in all the way but Heyes quickly remedied that.

He nodded approvingly to himself. Yep, he thought, this could turn out to be a real nice home.

That evening, after all the dinner dishes were washed and dried, some of the men resumed their nightly poker game. Uncharacteristically, Heyes declined Kyle's invitation to join them straightaway, though he said he might later on. Instead, he searched among his belongings and when he found what he was looking for, he sat down on his bunk, his back propped against the wall of the building.

==0==0==0==

Heyes opened the book and began to read. When he reached the end of the second chapter, he smiled. He always enjoyed that part, where the author described human nature and offered his opinion on how to get men to do his bidding.

Heyes knew Big Jim had been watching him throughout the day and wondered if the gang leader had ever read Mark Twain. He had seen Big Jim nodding once or twice to himself, as if he were thinking hard about something. Heyes hoped it meant he'd gained the leader's approval and there would be better things in store for him soon.

He put the book away and went over to join the poker game.

* * *

Tale #3: Arrival

_All men have one refuge, a good friend, with whom you can weep and know that he does not smile._

_- Menander_

I hafta find Heyes. He'll help; I know he will. I don't know where he is now, but I'm gonna find him.

I know he's changed. I mean, after we left the Home, we never stole stuff unless we really had to. Sometimes that was the only way we got something to eat. Can't blame a body for that, can ya? Well, I know some folks did; we got run outta places if we got caught. But we were hungry. Well, I was. And Heyes, well, Heyes always looked after me. Did a real good job of it, too.

I guess that's why I'm lookin' for him now. I heard he took to stealin' full-time, got himself in with an outlaw gang. Even saw a poster about him, offerin' a hundred dollars for him! I couldn't believe it when I saw that. Wonder what he thinks about it. He's always thinkin' so I know he's gotta have an opinion on it.

But I reckon he won't have forgotten me. You can't forget about the only family you have, can ya? Even if you're in a big-time gang? Even if…if…we didn't say good-bye real friendly-like? I mean, he wouldn't turn his back on me, would he? I'm his cousin, after all.

I've been searching for Heyes for…seems like a long time now. But I think that's just 'cos I'm tryin' to forget. I know I can't, not ever, not completely. But if I concentrate on lookin' for Heyes, I don't hafta think about other stuff. About what happened.

I got a good lead on Heyes in the last town I was in. I got me a plan. I heard the Devil's Hole Gang worked this area. I'm gonna ride out tomorrow and let them capture me. If they take me to Devil's Hole, I bet I'll find him there.

==0==0==0==

It worked! After I woke up and drank some coffee, I saddled my horse; wish I had a carrot or apple for her, but I didn't even have anything for my own breakfast. It was only a little while later that the three men surrounded me. They were pointin' their guns at me and I was kinda scared. I didn't know who they were but one of them looked mean. Then one of the others smiled, and I knew it'd be all right.

"Howdy. I'm lookin' for Hannibal Heyes," I said.

"Who's that?" the mean-lookin' man asked. He was older than the others and had dark hair and a mustache. He sure looked like an outlaw.

"Heard he was with the Devil's Hole Gang," I said, tryin' not to sound as desperate as I felt.

I think that older man saw right through me, though. His voice was gruff as he asked, "What's it to ya?"

"I'm lookin' for him," I repeated. I didn't know who he was so I sure wasn't gonna say we were cousins.

"He ain't here," the small man who'd smiled at me said. He had a wad of tobacco in his mouth and when he smiled I could see his teeth were brown.

The older man gave him a look of annoyance. "Kyle, lemme handle this." Then he looked at me. "He ain't here."

"I see. Well, is he at Devil's Hole, sir?" I asked him real politely. I needed to find out quickly 'cos if these men weren't with that particular gang, I didn't want to waste any more time with them.

The third man, who hadn't yet spoken a word, stared at me. It made me kinda uncomfortable. I don't like bein' the center of attention. The tobacco-chewin' man spit a stream of brown liquid into the bushes at his feet and didn't say anything more. The dark-haired man, I could tell he was the leader of the group, scratched his head. He thought about it for a while. Finally, he said, "Maybe he is and maybe he isn't."

It was kinda funny but I didn't feel like laughin'. Not when it seemed I was real close to findin' Heyes. The man made a decision. "Gimme your gun, carefully, and we'll take ya in, but yer gonna be blindfolded."

That was okay with me. It didn't matter how I got there as long as I found Heyes.

==0==0==0==

There were enough twists and turns that I couldn't figure out what direction we were goin' in. It seemed like a long ride but I knew that was just 'cos they were tryin' to confuse me. I didn't blame them. I figured outlaws had to be real careful about bringin' strangers into their hideouts. Finally we stopped and someone said I could take off the blindfold.

I rubbed my eyes and when I opened them again, I saw a large cabin on one side of me, with a barn that was obviously a stable, nearby. Opposite the cabin, there was a smaller building with a porch at its front entrance. A couple of wooden chairs stood to the right of the door. It opened and a tall Mexican man came out and walked over to the three men who were now standin' next to their horses and lookin' right nervous. I stayed on my horse 'cos they hadn't said I could get off. I figured this was Devil's Hole and I sure didn't want to rile anyone here.

"This here boy says he's lookin' for Heyes." That was the man who fancied himself the leader.

"I ain't a boy!" I couldn't help myself; it just slipped out.

The Mexican looked me up and down. "Be quiet."

He turned back to the other man. "Wheat, over here." They walked off a ways so I couldn't hear them.

When they came back, I heard the man called Wheat say, "Oh, sure, sure." I didn't know what that could mean and I was gettin' a little nervous at the way they were lookin' at me.

"Boy," Wheat called. I clenched my hands but this time didn't say anything. "Heyes ain't here. But you kin stay in the barn 'til he gets back. Long as ya do some chores to help out. That suit ya?"

"Fine. Thanks," I nodded my appreciation. "Can I take care of my horse now?"

"Yeah. That there's the barn," he said, pointin' unnecessarily. "And that's where ya kin sleep, too. Don't got no room in the cabin. But come on over there when yer done with yer horse, and I'll tell ya what to do next." Wheat walked off without waiting to see if I had any questions. I didn't, but it would've been polite to ask.

==0==0==0==

After two days of doin' every possible job Wheat could think of givin' me, I was about ready to ride out without seein' Heyes. But it had taken me so long to find Heyes I didn't want to give up after such a short time. I swallowed my impatience and decided that if he hadn't returned by the end of the week, then I'd leave.

Fortunately, I didn't have to wait that long. The following afternoon, I was washin' the dishes from lunch when I saw Heyes ride in. He didn't notice me right away. Heyes was wearin' a black hat with a lighter-colored hatband and black boots, new by the looks of them. His hair was longer, his clothes dirtier, but otherwise he looked the same. Especially when he smiled, like he was doin' now, 'cos he'd spotted me by the pump.

"Jed!" Heyes yelled, and ran towards me. He stopped suddenly, just as I thought he was gonna give me a big bear hug. He saw the other men watchin' us and smiled sheepishly. I knew he was embarrassed; Heyes didn't usually show his feelings like that. But I was real glad. It meant, maybe, that he'd forgotten or maybe just forgiven me for how we'd said good-bye before. "Jed, what are you doing here?"

"Howdy, Heyes. Good to see you, too." I smiled at him but it didn't quite come off. Heyes noticed but he didn't say anything.

"Been a long time, Jed. Where you been these past few years?" I knew he was wonderin' why I had suddenly shown up at Devil's Hole.

"Oh, workin' here and there," I said. I didn't want to tell him everything right away. Besides, I kinda had to get to know him again. He was in an outlaw gang now; I'd never expected him to go and do something like that so maybe other things were different, too. I needed to know for sure before I started tellin' him all my problems. I mean, it was kinda like old times but not exactly. "Can we go somewhere more, uh, private?"

Heyes grinned. "Sure. Let me talk to Big Jim first, then you can tell me all about what you've been doing."

Heyes left me and went into the leader's cabin. Nope, Heyes hadn't changed much after all. Maybe I should have left when I had the chance. I was gonna end up tellin' him everything. But, that's why I'd come, wasn't it? 'Cos I wanted to tell him. 'Cos Heyes was the only one I could tell.

==0==0==0==

"Heyes, can I stay at Devil's Hole?" I watched an ant crawl across the log we were sittin' on behind the barn, the one that some of the men used to practiced their shootin'. Most of them weren't very good.

"Why, Jed? What's going on?"

"Nothin'. Just need a place to stay for a while, is all."

Heyes narrowed his eyes and I could see he was thinkin' about what that could mean. "You do know what we do, don't you?"

"Yeah."

"That don't bother you none?"

"No." Not anymore, I thought. Not after what I done.

"What's wrong with where you were? And where was that, by the way?"

I shrugged and didn't respond. I continued to stare at the log. I didn't want him to see my eyes.

"If something's going on, I need to know. I can't just go and ask Big Jim if you can join up with us. He's gonna want to know why." Heyes faced me and tried to force the issue. "Jed, you're my cousin and I've known you your whole life. I know when you're lying and I know you are now. If you don't you tell me why you want to join the Devil's Hole Gang, you're gonna ride outta here today 'cos I ain't gonna lie to Big Jim."

I was silent for a long time. Finally, I said, "Don't call me Jed no more."

I guess Heyes had been expectin' to hear something else 'cos all he said was, "Huh?"

I said, "Don't call me Jed. I'm not that man no more."

"Who are you then?" Heyes laughed. If he coulda seen my face he wouldn't have but I was still starin' at the ground.

"Kid Curry."

Heyes snorted. "What kind of name is that?"

"You used to call me Kid. Don't you remember?"

"I remember. But you were. A kid, I mean. You're not, now."

"Heyes, you ever wish…?" I shrugged again and sighed. This was harder than I thought it'd be.

"Wish what? Kid?" Heyes tested out the name. It sounded strange to my ears, but good, like a sunny spring day after a hard winter. I liked it and knew I'd get used to it. Like I'd gotten used to a lot of things lately.

"Nothin'."

"Kid," Heyes said it again, and he said it more easily this time. "Tell me what's wrong."

"Ain't nothin' worth talkin' about." Heyes looked at me sharply and I knew he knew there was something seriously wrong. He knew I wouldn't have come otherwise. But I just couldn't tell him yet. It was too hard and I was afraid of what he'd do, once he found out. I didn't want to lose the only friend I had. I mean, even though we hadn't seen each other in a long time, he was still my best friend.

"All right, Kid. I'll talk to Big Jim. But he ain't gonna be happy and he's gonna want to talk to you, too."

==0==0==0==

Heyes found me in the barn a while later and told me what Big Jim had said. Yeah, I'd taken to callin' the gang leader that, just like everyone else.

"Big Jim doesn't want to let you stay. He said Devil's Hole ain't a charity and everyone has to earn their keep. I told him I knew that and when he asked what you could contribute, I said you were good with a gun."

I flinched but I think I managed to hide it from Heyes by pretendin' to shiver. It was almost dusk and the temperature had gone down so maybe it seemed natural.

Heyes went on, "I said you practice a lot so you can be fast and accurate. But Big Jim said he hadn't seen you practice at all since you got here. I said maybe you didn't have any bullets, but I know you always do. Then I said maybe you didn't want to show off your skill, being younger than everyone else and all."

When I didn't say anything, Heyes continued. "Big Jim said he doesn't hold with killing and I told him you don't neither."

I couldn't help myself. My eyes shot up and I looked at Heyes real closely. "And?"

"And I said you've never killed anyone." Heyes paused, and I could see the thought leap into his mind. "Have you?" he asked, reluctantly, like he didn't really want to know.

Heyes could see my face now, could see the haunted look in my eyes. "Aw, Kid." He wrapped his arms around me with the hug he hadn't given me when we'd first seen each other. "Tell me what happened."

"I'm sorry, Heyes. It was an accident. I didn't mean to!" I gulped in some air and slowly I got the story out. It wasn't easy, not at all. Even though Heyes and me knew each other better than anyone else, it was still real hard. He kept one arm around me the whole time and that helped, a little. "It was in some little town, I was playin' poker. Not winnin' a lot but one man took exception to me winnin' anything. Said I was just a boy and boys got no business beatin' men. Heyes, I'm eighteen!"

Heyes smiled at that. I've always looked younger than my actual age and he knows I resent bein' reminded of it.

"I tried to avoid it. But he kept pesterin' me, wouldn't let up no matter what I said. I know I got a temper but I kept thinkin'—Heyes would talk it out, I can talk it out too. Just let it go like Heyes would."

"I'm proud of you, Jed."

I shook my head angrily when he said that. "I ain't Jed no more. He died along with that man." Heyes' arm dropped as he stared at me, for once unable to think of anything to say.

I wiped my eyes. "I never shot at a man before, Heyes. It…it ain't the same as shootin' a bottle off a log. I was aimin' for his shoulder but…my hand was shakin'…" I swallowed hard. "But I missed and…and I hit him in the chest and then…he died."

"Kid, I'm sorry." And Heyes was, I could tell. He knew I was forever changed by what I'd done. The boy he'd grown up with was gone, replaced by someone else, someone who looked the same but deep inside was very different.

Heyes focused on something more practical for the moment. "What did the sheriff say?"

"I don't know. I didn't wait around to find out. I didn't know what to do so I came here." I shrugged helplessly.

I stood up and moved to my horse, wrapping my possessions in the bedroll and tying it behind the saddle.

Heyes watched me for a moment. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Leavin'. You said Big Jim don't hold with killin'. What's he gonna do when he finds out I'm a gunman?"

"You ain't a gunman, Kid. You had no choice. Like you said, it was an accident."

"There's always a choice, Heyes. I could've walked away." I didn't meet my cousin's eyes as I said that, 'cos I knew that if I had tried to walk away, I'd most likely be the one who was dead instead.

"You listen to me, Kid Curry, if that's what you want to be called." Heyes was standing now, too. "That's fine by me. What ain't fine is you saying you're a killer. 'Cos you're not! You hear me? Sometimes a man's got to make a decision real quick, and he don't have time to debate it. A man finds himself in a gunfight through no fault of his own, then he's got no choice but to defend himself as best he can. And that's what you did. You defended yourself. Do you understand what I'm saying? It ain't your fault that man died."

I blinked my eyes. I just stood there, wishin' with all my heart I could take back what I'd done. "Please, Heyes, I want to stay here. I don't ever want to be apart again."

Heyes nodded. "I'll make Big Jim understand."

"Don't tell him, Heyes. I don't want anyone to know."

"Don't worry, Kid. Everything'll be okay. I promise."

It was my turn to wrap my arms around Heyes, and I held onto him for a long time.

* * *

Tale #4: Reappraisal

_A friend is one who knows you and loves you just the same._

_- Elbert Hubbard_

"Heyes," Kid hissed to his cousin, who was stuffing a carpetbag with the money from the safe behind the tellers' stations. "Hurry up! We been in here too long."

"I know that!" Heyes snapped back. "Is it my fault Wheat didn't tell me this safe had five tumblers instead of three?" He closed the bag, shut the safe and joined Kid and Wheat, who were covering the bank manager, two tellers and several customers with their weapons.

"So what? We got the money." Wheat kept his eyes and his gun on the people cowering on the floor, but spoke to Heyes.

"It makes a big difference, Wheat. Could be the difference between getting away or getting caught." Heyes was angry and made no attempt to hide it. "Everyone had a job to do. Yours was to find out about the safe. All you had to do was walk inside and take a look. But…"

"Heyes," Kid cut him off. "This ain't the time for that. We gotta go."

With a baleful look at Wheat, Heyes went to the front door of the bank and opened it a crack. No one else on the street was taking a special interest in the bank. "It's clear, Kid."

Wheat walked out first, followed by Heyes holding the money. Kid was last, walking backwards, his gun still keeping the people in the bank from doing anything foolish. "Sorry for the inconvenience, folks," he said as he shut the heavy door.

The men had taken only a few steps when chaos broke out. Gunshots were fired, a woman screamed, people scurried for cover inside the shops that lined the main street of Hyattville. The three members of the Devil's Hole Gang ran to their horses and hauled themselves onto their animals, getting off several shots of their own before galloping out of town.

"Where'd that posse come from?" They were being chased by five men and although the posse wasn't gaining on them, they weren't losing them, either.

"Where'd you think, Wheat? We were in the bank long enough for someone to get suspicious and go tell the sheriff," Heyes shouted. He started to say something else but a bullet whizzed past and he concentrated on riding instead.

The posse was shooting at them more frequently as the outlaws slowly put more distance between them. Suddenly, Wheat cried out and Heyes saw him slump over his horse's neck.

Kid pulled alongside him just as he fell to the ground. Kid jumped off his horse and grabbed Wheat by his arms. "Come on, Heyes, help me get him onto my horse."

"Why?"

"I don't think he can ride by himself." Kid didn't see the bullet wound but Wheat clearly needed help.

"I know that."

Kid looked at Heyes with narrowed eyes. "You gonna help me or not?"

The posse was gaining on them but Heyes stood there a moment longer. Then he shrugged and together, he and Kid got the other man onto Kid's horse. Kid sat behind Wheat and looked at his cousin. "I'm takin' him to Bonanza." He turned his horse to the west and rode off without looking to see if Heyes was behind him.

==0==0==0==

They lost the posse around nightfall and made it to Bonanza without further incident, except that Wheat was unconscious by the time they got there. They went directly to the saloon where Myrtle, Wheat's girl when he was in town, gasped when she saw Heyes and Kid carry him inside.

Kid saw her and asked, "Where's your room?"

Myrtle turned frightened eyes to him and whispered, "Upstairs."

"Show us," Kid ordered, and she led them to the second floor and the small room at the end of the hallway. Opening the door, she let the men enter first.

Myrtle closed the door and leaned against it for support, trembling as she watched the men gently lay Wheat on her bed, blood already soaking the sheet. Kid gently removed Wheat's shirt. The hole in his shoulder looked huge. "Is he…?"

She saw sympathy in Kid's eyes as he answered her. "He'll be fine, just needs a doctor is all." She wasn't sure she believed him. She saw the look Kid gave Heyes, and knew it was bad.

"I'll get him," Heyes interrupted her thoughts. "Where's his office?"

Myrtle gave him directions but didn't hear him leave. All she could do was stare at Wheat's face, so very pale, so unnaturally silent. She slowly moved to sit on the bed, grasping Wheat's hand in hers, and waited, and prayed.

==0==0==0==

"Thanks, Doc." Heyes paid the man and he left. He'd patched Wheat up, telling them that although the wound was serious, with any luck Wheat would fully recover in a few weeks' time. He hadn't asked how Wheat had come to be shot and they hadn't told him. The doctor knew who they were but Heyes knew he wouldn't say anything. He was conscientious and good at his job and all he cared about was doing his best for his patients, whoever they were.

"Thank you!" Myrtle kissed Kid on his cheek and gave him a big hug. "Thank you for saving him!" She hugged Heyes and he let her kiss him, too.

"Why's my girl kissin' you two?" A voice from the bed startled them all.

"Wheat!" Myrtle cried, joy showing on her face as she went back to Wheat, who was trying unsuccessfully to sit up. She sat next to him on the bed and slid an arm around him, being careful not to touch the bandage on his shoulder.

"Heyes and Kid saved you when you got shot. Heyes got the doc and he fixed you up. How do you feel?" Myrtle gave him a kiss on his forehead.

"Better now," Wheat said. He squeezed her hand and she smiled back. "Ya know I don't like it when…"

"Oh, Wheat, if it hadn't been for them, you would have died. I was so scared."

Kid caught Heyes' eye and he nodded at the door. "Glad you're gonna be all right, Wheat," Kid told him.

"Yeah, you'll be back to your usual self in no time." Heyes looked down at Wheat on the bed, then very deliberately planted a kiss on Myrtle's cheek before following Kid out of the room.

==0==0==0==

Heyes and Kid got a bottle and glasses and sat themselves down at a table at the back of the saloon where they could see all the action. Kid uncorked the bottle and poured two shots. They drank in silence.

Kid poured them both another drink but set his own glass on the table. "Heyes, what do you think you're doin'?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean."

Heyes didn't answer right away, his dark eyes focused instead on the whiskey in his glass. When he finally looked up, Kid was staring at him, still waiting for a response.

"He could've gotten us killed, Kid."

"I know. Don't you think he knows that?"

"He jeopardized the job."

"Don't you think he knows that, too?"

"He was stupid."

"It was a mistake, Heyes. He got shot for it so he ain't likely to make it again. What more do you want?"

"I want him to do things right the first time! I want him to… I don't want his carelessness to get you killed!" Heyes took a swig from his glass and poured himself another, his hand shaking slightly as he did so.

"Ain't you never made a mistake, Heyes?" Kid asked him softly.

Heyes started to say no but then he looked at his eighteen-year old cousin sitting in front of him and he thought to himself, yeah, made a really big one recently.

"You're acting like a ten-year old who's sulkin' 'cos he didn't get his way." Kid smiled to take the sting out of his words. "Give Wheat another chance to prove himself."

"I don't think I can trust him, Kid."

"You don't give him a chance to prove himself, you never will."

"I trust you to do a job right."

"Heyes, we're family. You've only known Wheat, what, a year, maybe?"

"About that," Heyes acknowledged.

"Well, if you're plannin' on stayin' with the Devil's Hole Gang, you best make your peace with him. You don't gotta love him, but you do gotta live and work with him. And a lot of other men who ain't as smart as you."

Heyes poured them both another drink and thought about what Kid had said. After a while, he pushed back his chair and stood up. He smiled briefly, then turned and walked upstairs to the room at the end of the hallway.

* * *

Tale #5: Betrayal

_Life's greatest happiness is to be convinced we are loved._

_- Victor Hugo_

The naked woman above the bar was the perfect advertisement for the saloon. For once, Heyes thought, Wheat had been right. Coming to the Garden of Delight, in the aptly-named Bonanza, had been a good idea.

Heyes took another look at the painting. The woman had vines and leaves strategically draped across her body but enough of her ample charms was visible to entice any man. Heyes wondered what kind of woman would pose like that, and if she knew she'd be the object of so many men's lingering gazes.

He dragged his eyes back to the poker game he and Kid were in, playing with three other men, strangers who didn't know who they were. Heyes was enjoying the challenge of playing against one man in particular, who was winning almost as much as himself.

Kid was paying more attention to the blonde on his lap than to the cards in his hand but Heyes didn't begrudge him the fun. Kid deserved it, Heyes thought, pleased to see his cousin having a good time.

"Honey, get me another whiskey, will you?" At Kid's request, Daisy flounced off to the bar and brought back a glass for Kid, who invited her to sit back down again by grabbing her waist and pulling her towards him. She pouted and Kid laughed, knowing full well she was just pretending. Kid was on his way to getting drunk. Daisy was not. They were both enjoying themselves.

"Care to buy a lady a drink?"

Heyes' thoughts, which had wandered while he was waiting for one man to decide what kind of bet to make, were interrupted by a saloon girl who'd approached without him even hearing her.

"Sure. Sit yourself down," he said, indicating the chair next to him. He waved the bartender over, who poured her a drink.

"What's got you looking so serious, mister?"

"Been thinking, that's all." Heyes was not about to let on he'd been reviewing the robbery he and the Devil's Hole Gang had just successfully pulled off, in case Big Jim ever gave him another chance to contribute his ideas about a job.

"Most men don't usually come in here to think." She gave him a knowing grin.

Heyes looked at the girl. She was dark-haired, with brown eyes that were large and oval-shaped, and possessed a slim body that was poured into the blue satin dress. Her hair was tied in back with a red ribbon. Heyes couldn't tell how old she was but something about her intrigued him.

He decided to give her his full attention.

"What's your name?"

"Ivy."

"I'm Barton. Well, come on over here, Ivy," Heyes said, patting his lap. She obligingly moved to sit where he suggested, and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I don't think I've seen you before."

She smiled. "I'm new to the job."

Heyes wasn't sure if she meant working in this saloon in particular or working in a saloon in general.

"And I'd have remembered you," she continued. She tested out a quick kiss and was pleased with his response.

"I don't come here very often," he admitted. He pulled her towards him and kissed her again.

"Want to change that?" Ivy asked coyly.

"Sure," he said, appreciating the laughter in her eyes.

Ivy smoothed her dress as she stood. Heyes waited until Kid, instinctively knowing his partner wanted to tell him something, looked up from the cards in his hand. With a nod at the girl, Heyes indicated where he was going. Kid smiled back at him.

Ivy led Heyes up the stairs. Not long after, Heyes entered her own private garden of delight.

==0==0==0==

After, Heyes lay in the bed, left arm wrapped around Ivy's shoulder and right hand twining fingers through her thick, silky hair. He saw strands of red and black among the brown, and could feel how each color had its own texture. He grinned as he thought about how easily he could unlock a woman's secrets as well as a safe's with his fingers.

Ivy slept on while Heyes thought about their encounter. They had reached her room and Ivy had quietly closed the door, Heyes standing there, watching, as she turned down the lamp. Then, undressing each other, staring into each other's eyes, Heyes with obvious anticipation and Ivy, he thought, with unfeigned pleasure, they'd eventually made it over to the bed and fallen onto the quilt that covered it.

Heyes had taken his time with Ivy, and now he puzzled over why. Usually his own needs came first, next and last. It wasn't like him but for some reason he couldn't quite figure out, this time he'd wanted the girl to enjoy it, too. He knew she had.

Carefully removing his arm from underneath her, Heyes got up and put his clothes on. He sat on the edge of the bed for a few minutes, admiring Ivy's naked body. He knew he would see her again.

Dropping some coins on the dresser, he quietly left the room.

==0==0==0==

The Devil's Hole Gang hurrahed Bonanza for three more days, no one being anxious to leave the comforts of the town, especially those found at the Garden of Delight. Wheat spent time with Myrtle, Kid flirted with Daisy and then did more than just flirt. Heyes devoted his afternoons and evenings to Ivy; it was more fun to be with her than to play poker with the men downstairs.

One afternoon before Ivy went to work, she met Heyes outside his hotel and he escorted her on a walk to the outskirts of town where, as the sun began to set, they sat on a rock outcrop bordering a bean field and gazed at the changing colors of the sky. They sat in companionable silence, alone except for the birds winging their way south for the winter and the squirrels gathering acorns that'd fallen from the trees nearby. Ivy shivered, and Heyes took off his coat and put it over her shoulders. He edged closer to her and took her hand in his.

She smiled at him. "Thank you. This," she waved her free arm at the vista in front of them, "This is what I think Meryton looks like in _Pride and Prejudice_. I don't really know, of course; I don't suppose I'll ever see England."

Ivy saw the confusion on Heyes' face and explained. "It's a book I like. By Jane Austen."

"A book? You like to read?" Heyes was thrilled to discover someone who enjoyed books as much as he did. "What else have you read?" They spent the next hour avidly discussing their favorite novels and Heyes decided he enjoyed her mind just as much as her body.

The following afternoon, having made prior arrangements, Heyes met Ivy at the livery where he'd rented a buggy. He drove them out of town until they reached a deserted spot that he'd scouted out earlier. He helped Ivy from the buggy, then took the basket and blanket from the back seat and carried them to a spot under a weeping willow at the edge of the small brook that meandered by. The tree provided some shade from the glare of the midday sun and it also hid them from the view of any passersby traveling on the road. Heyes spread the blanket on the ground and then they both unpacked the basket.

"Oh, Barton, you shouldn't have! Oh, look!" she exclaimed, pulling out the beef sandwiches and then the pickled vegetables. Heyes had already set the loaf of bread and the berry pie and the plates on the blanket.

"This must've cost a fortune. It's too much! We can't possibly eat all this!" Ivy's comments both pleased and saddened Heyes. It was clear that she didn't often enjoy fine food and perhaps there were times when she didn't even have enough to eat. But he was glad could make her happy so easily and he determined that as long as he was in town, she wouldn't want for anything.

"Nothing but the best for the best!" Heyes said gallantly, as he filled her plate and handed it to her.

Ivy glanced at him, color flooding her face. "I don't deserve this," she said softly, turning away.

Heyes reached out and cupped her face with his hand, forcing her to look into his eyes. "Yes, you do," he contradicted her. "Everyone deserves to be happy," he told her, though he wasn't sure everyone actually achieved it. But maybe, perhaps, if he was lucky, there was a chance he could with Ivy.

Ivy kissed Heyes. He responded with a kiss of his own and then the food was forgotten.

On his last night in town, Heyes and Ivy went up to her room as usual but Heyes didn't know when he'd see her again and the thought that it might be never made him selfish. He took his pleasure more quickly than he'd planned.

Heyes only became aware of what he was doing when she cried out at his rough treatment. He rolled off her and gently stroked her face. "I'm… I didn't … I mean, I..." he floundered. He wasn't good at apologizing.

Ivy gave him a small smile. "It's all right. I understand."

"It's just that I don't know when I'll get back this way again."

"I know. But I'll be here when you do."

"You'll wait for me?"

She replied simply, saying what he wanted to hear. "Yes."

"Well, then," Heyes grinned mischievously, his momentary melancholy dispelled. "I'm gonna make sure we have us a real good time tonight!" Pulling her on top of him and wrapping his arms around her body, he showed Ivy just what he meant.

==0==0==0==

It was two months before Heyes returned to Bonanza and the first thing he did when he reached the town was go to the Garden of Delight. It was only mid-afternoon so he had to wait several hours before Ivy arrived for work. He played poker desultorily with other gang members but his mind wasn't on the game.

Ivy saw him as soon as she came through the back door and her face lit up. Heyes bought her a drink and they moved to another table where they could be alone. "I thought about you almost every day," he confessed.

"Not every day?" she teased.

"Some days I had to think about my job," he told her, smiling.

"And what exactly might that be?" she smiled back.

"Oh, nothing very exciting," Heyes hastily said. "Tell me how you've been."

"Same as always." Ivy shrugged.

Heyes thought he detected a note of bitterness in her voice. "That bad, huh?"

"It wasn't the same after you left," she admitted. She looked into his eyes. "I'm glad you're back."

"Me, too."

They finished their drinks and went upstairs and spent two very delightful hours together.

==0==0==0==

When Heyes came back down, Kid was playing poker with Wheat and the boys. He saw Heyes' signal and excused himself, scooping his winnings into his left hand as he got up.

Heyes walked out of the saloon and Kid followed him. "What's the matter, Heyes?"

His cousin didn't answer.

"Heyes, is there a problem? The sheriff say something about us bein' here?"

Heyes shook his head. "No, nothing like that."

"What then?"

Heyes led Kid to a bench next to a water trough and sat down. "I gotta talk to you about something."

Kid couldn't read Heyes' expression. He sat down next to him and waited.

"I… There's…" Heyes' silver tongue deserted him.

"What is it, Heyes? Just tell me." Kid was getting worried.

Heyes took a deep breath. "There's this girl at the saloon…"

"Ivy," Kid said knowingly.

"Yeah. Well, I been seeing her for a while."

"I know, Heyes," Kid smirked. "That ain't news."

"Oh." Heyes paused, then continued rapidly. "Well, I...I have feelings for her, Kid. It's...getting serious. Just thought you should know."

Kid had never heard Heyes talk about a woman like that before and for a few minutes he just stared at him. Eventually, he asked, "What are you gonna do?"

"I was thinking maybe I'd leave Devil's Hole, try to find a respectable job somewhere. Then Ivy and me, we could settle down. And, I could ask her to marry me."

Kid's eyes went wide with shock and he felt like he'd been punched in the stomach. He opened his mouth but didn't know what to say. Finally, he managed to get out, "What does she have to say about it?"

"I haven't exactly discussed it with her yet."

Kid exploded. "You mean to tell me you're makin' weddin' plans and you ain't even asked her yet? How do you know she'll even agree?"

"She'll agree," Heyes said. "I know she will," he insisted, convinced that Ivy cared for him as much as he cared for her.

"Well, you better make sure about that, Heyes, before you go and tell Big Jim and the boys you're leavin'. They ain't gonna be too happy about it."

"And what about you?" Heyes anxiously asked his cousin, hoping but fearing the response.

"What do you mean, what about me?" Kid knew exactly what he meant but the thought of losing Heyes, only about a year after finding him again, was too much for him to accept just then.

"Are you happy about it? Happy for me?"

Kid sighed. He looked at his partner and Heyes had his answer.

==0==0==0==

"Ivy," Heyes asked the following evening as they lay in each other's arms, "Do you ever think about the future?"

"All the time," she said. "Why?"

He hesitated. "Have you ever thought about a future with me?"

"With you?" she echoed, and scattered kisses all over his face.

Enjoying her attentions, Heyes continued, "Yeah. I mean, would you…would you consider marrying me?"

"Oh, Heyes, of course I will!" Ivy started to kiss him again, this time in a more sensitive spot.

He pushed her away. "What did you say?"

"I said, yes, I'll marry you!"

"No, before that. You called me Heyes." His voice was flat.

"Oh, please," Ivy rolled her beautiful, exotic eyes at him. "All the girls know who you are. Ever since Wheat started seeing Myrtle, we've all known who was in the Devil's Hole Gang."

Heyes stared at her, wondering what to do. He rose from the bed to go sit in the single chair in the room.

Heyes wasn't sure if it was resignation or something else he heard in her voice as Ivy said, "I've known from the day I saw you come in with Wheat and Kyle. I never said anything to the sheriff. I could have, but I didn't."

"No," he said slowly, thinking it over. "You didn't. Why not? I'm worth five hundred dollars."

Ivy got up and went over to him, kneeling on the cold floor in front of him. "I didn't turn you in because I fell in love with you," she said simply.

Heyes wanted to believe her. He wanted to believe that she cared for him in spite of the fact he was an outlaw. He'd thought she hadn't known who he was. But she did know, and that changed things. He didn't know if he could trust her. He wanted to, but he had to make sure. "It don't bother you I'm an outlaw?"

"Sometimes, when I see all the money from the mines deposited in the bank the last Friday of every month, I think it ain't fair how some folk got so much and others got so little, and I… Sometimes I think about how I'd like to steal it. So, no, it don't bother me you're an outlaw. Everyone's done things they ain't proud of," she told him.

He looked at her, wondering what she'd done besides think about stealing. If she meant something besides work in a saloon. He thought about all the time they'd spent together, the fun they'd had. Heyes trusted his instincts. "I love you, too," he whispered.

Ivy's face was filled with joy as she kissed him deeply. "Then let's get married right now. There's no reason to wait; nothing's keeping us here. Please?"

"No, I can't just walk out on the gang, Ivy; I have responsibilities. And we need money to get married. I have to get a stake first, then I'll come for you."

Ivy's smile faded and despair replaced the elation of only a moment ago. "We don't need a stake. I don't mind being poor."

Heyes did. "It won't be long, I promise."

"If we're together, being poor won't matter. I don't mind doing work that's hard on the back," she told him.

Heyes wondered if she realized what she'd said. "Ivy, after I get us a stake, we won't be poor and you won't need to work. You'd like that, wouldn't you?" He held her gaze until, reluctantly, she nodded. Satisfied he'd gotten her to be reasonable, Heyes closed the deal by kissing her until she relaxed and agreed that his plan was a good one.

==0==0==0==

Heyes was glad when Big Jim called a meeting in the bunkhouse several weeks later, figuring he was going to tell the gang about a new job.

"Boys, there's a payroll that we're going to take soon as it gets to town. It's a big one so there'll be plenty to go around."

"How much is it?" one of the men asked.

Big Jim grinned, anticipating his men's reaction. "Forty-two thousand dollars!"

"Whoo-ee," whistled Kyle. "That sure is a big one!"

Heyes was doing the math, calculating how much his share would be. More than enough for a decent stake to get him and Ivy started, he figured. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kid looking at him. Kid wasn't smiling.

"So what's the plan?" Wheat impatiently wanted to know.

"We'll take it after the money's been deposited in the bank. Too many things can go wrong if we try and get it while it's on its way there. Heyes here can open the safe easy," Jim explained, and Heyes nodded. "Wheat, you, Lobo and the Kid will be inside with us, making sure no one does anything stupid. The rest of you, you'll be outside either with the horses or nearby making sure no one gets in the way once we're in the bank and when we're leaving. That clear to everyone?"

Kid had a question. "What town's the payroll going to?"

"Bonanza. You all know it well so this should be an easy job."

Heyes felt his future slip away. He hadn't had an excuse to go to Bonanza again so Ivy was still there, waiting for him. "Jim, if we rob the bank there, we won't be able to go back anytime soon, if ever," he felt compelled to remind him. "We got a nice thing going there; sheriff don't mind if we hurrah the town long as we leave folks alone. Why do you want to go and ruin a good thing?"

"Forty-two thousand reasons, Heyes. Ain't that good enough for you?" The stare Big Jim gave Heyes quelled any further objections. "Besides, you're the one who told me about the deposits to that bank. Don't you want a part of it?"

Heyes realized he should have known that when he mentioned the payroll to Big Jim, it was too tempting a target. He shot a glance over to Kid, who was looking at him sympathetically. Heyes knew that even though Kid didn't want him to leave Devil's Hole, he did want him to be happy. Robbing the bank in Bonanza to get his stake wasn't going to make him happy.

"Jim, it's too dangerous. Bonanza's too close to the Hole. If we rob that bank, all they gotta do is wait until we ride out again. Everyone in that town knows who we are." But Heyes could see that his words were not enough to dissuade the leader of the Devil's Hole Gang from carrying out his plan.

==0==0==0==

Two days later, they hit the bank. Wheat, Kid, Heyes, and Lobo spread out, waiting for their leader to make his announcement. Big Jim took his gun from his holster and yelled, "All right, folks, this is a hold up! Everybody on the floor!" As soon as he started shouting, the other gang members drew their guns and rounded up the people inside the bank.

It was early afternoon and there were only a few customers so it didn't take long. One of them was Ivy, depositing her earnings from the night before. She was facing a teller but she turned around when Lobo told her to and with a shock, Heyes saw who it was.

Heyes went over to her. "Don't worry, Ivy, we're only gonna take the payroll money," he told her. Although she knew he was a member of the Devil's Hole Gang, Heyes suspected Ivy didn't know what exactly that involved. Now, unfortunately, she was going to find out.

Ivy covered her mouth with her hand but Heyes heard her gasp anyway. She tried to move away from him but he caught her by the hand and it was then that he saw the fear in her eyes. "Everything'll be all right long as no one does anything foolish," he tried to reassure her.

She shook her hand out of his grasp and sank to the floor with a whimper.

"Ivy, this is the last job, I promise. It's just so I can get us our stake. We'll go far away from here when it's all over." Heyes needed her to understand, to believe him.

Ivy didn't say a word but there was an appeal in her eyes that bothered Heyes.

"What's the matter? You'll still come with me, won't you?"

She wouldn't look at him, and without conscious thought, her eyes slid over to the bank manager who was on the floor leaning against his desk. The nameplate said Mr. Hauser.

Suddenly suspicious, Heyes asked, "What's going on?"

"Leave her be, Heyes! Get over here and open the safe!" Big Jim reminded him of the job to be done.

Reluctantly, Heyes went over to the safe and started listening to the tumblers. Within short order he had the combination and with a satisfied smile, he turned the handle and opened the safe.

"It's empty!" he said in surprise.

Big Jim came and confirmed what Heyes had reported. The other men started to grumble. The customers became more afraid, fearing the outlaws would rob them of their personal possessions to compensate for the lack of the payroll.

Heyes had been watching Ivy, who'd been watching the bank manager. "What do you know about this?" he asked her from across the room, where he still stood near the safe.

She began to reply.

"Shut up!" Hauser ordered. "Don't you tell them anything!"

Ivy subsided.

"You! You think you're so smart!" Hauser pointed a finger at Heyes and Big Jim and the other members of the gang. "Robbing banks all over this part of the Territory. Those are my friends' banks and this is my town! Think you can come here and flaunt who you are? You're nothing but stupid outlaws. It was easy to trick you."

Wheat walked over and stuck his gun under the man's chin. "You wanna say that again, mister?"

"Wheat," Big Jim cautioned him. "I want to hear what he has to say."

Wheat removed his gun and Hauser gulped, then related what he'd done. "It was easy," he repeated. "All I needed was a way to get false information to you. And I found it, right here in Bonanza! Thank you, darling," he grinned at Ivy.

Heyes looked at her sharply. "What did you do?"

Ivy raised her head and the misery on her face was plain to see. She shook her head, unwilling to answer.

"I knew you were part of the Devil's Hole Gang," the bank manager told Heyes. "I saw how you took a shine to her so I told her I'd buy out her contract at the saloon and give her a stake. Then she could go someplace where no one knew her, make a fresh start, be respectable. If she helped me, I'd help her."

"Why?" Heyes was having a hard time understanding what Ivy had done. He felt sick.

Ivy wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "I didn't want to work in a saloon the rest of my life. It sounded easy; all I had to do was tell you about the payroll delivery. Mr. Hauser was sure the Devil's Hole Gang would make a try for it."

"And you did!" the bank manager concluded.

Heyes glanced at Big Jim, who stared back at him. "Let's get out of here," Big Jim told his men. With their guns still pointing at the customers and bank employees, they made their way to the front of the bank.

Stunned by Ivy's treachery, Heyes looked back at her one last time as he neared the door. "I thought you were someone special," he said in a voice devoid of emotion.

Ivy got up and moved towards him, wringing her hands as if beseeching his forgiveness.

"You come over here or you won't be getting what's coming to you," the bank manager warned her. He dangled a reticule in front of him, then dropped it on the floor, enticing Ivy.

Ivy turned towards Hauser, then back to Heyes. "I wanted to believe you. I wanted you to be different from all the other men. But you're not. You're just like all the rest."

"We needed a stake, Ivy. Don't you understand that?" There was a pleading look in Heyes' eyes as he tried to convince her.

"If you truly loved me, that wouldn't have mattered. You could have taken me away from here any time. Every day I prayed for you to come. I waited and waited but you never did. You knew if you and your gang robbed this bank you could never come back here. But that didn't matter, did it? Getting the money was more important than getting me."

"No, that's not true! How would we survive if I didn't have some money to get us started? This was the only way I could get enough. I had to do this job, just this last one."

"You'll never give this up. I saw the look on your face when you opened that safe. You love that more than me." Everyone in the bank heard the heartbreak in her voice.

"I was going to give it up for you, Ivy. I would've given it up for you," Heyes repeated forlornly, as he finally conceded she was lost to him.

"You're lying to yourself as well as to me if you think that. At least he," Ivy nodded to the bank manager, "He never lied to me when he was in my bed."

The shocked gasps from some of the customers went unheard by Heyes and Ivy. Their eyes riveted on each other, Ivy slowly walked away, towards Hauser, towards the money, to freedom. She picked up the reticule and clutched it tightly; the money wasn't any compensation for Heyes' dishonesty but that was all she was left with.

"Sheriff's talking to some men," Lobo reported as he peeked out a window. Dimly, Heyes heard the others insisting they had to go.

Heyes got up and very slowly walked over to the bank manager. When he was only a few feet away, he pulled out his gun and raised it, aiming it at the man's heart.

Before he could shoot, Kid grabbed his arm and twisted the gun away. "No, Heyes! Don't!"

"You'll pay for this!" Heyes yelled, and then he ran with the others from the bank.

==0==0==0==

Back at Devil's Hole after escaping from the posse, Kid found him hours later sitting by the river, in a spot both of them found peaceful and sought out when they wanted solitude. "I'm sorry, Heyes."

His eyes bleak, Heyes turned to his cousin and said, "I was going to…"

"What?"

"Don't matter now."

"Tell me anyway."

"I asked her to marry me. I thought I'd do one more job and get enough for a stake. I thought we'd go to some small town and I'd get a job and… I thought she loved me."

Kid thought Heyes had done entirely too much thinking. He'd planned out a whole future before he really got to know the girl. He supposed love could do that to a man. Kid wasn't even angry that Heyes hadn't told him he'd already proposed to Ivy. His partner kept his feelings to himself but he could see how happy Heyes had been when he was with Ivy. He'd been glad for Heyes—he deserved some happiness in his life—but regretted that Heyes' plans hadn't seemed to include him, that Heyes was going to break his promise to stick together, and he wasn't sure how he felt about that.

"It wasn't real. It was only for the money."

Heyes' bitterness was almost palpable to Kid. It was going to take a long time for his cousin to recover. Kid knew better than to say that maybe it was for the best or that Heyes would find another girl someday.

"I'm gonna make sure he pays for what he's done," Heyes said with determination. "I'm gonna figure out how to rob his bank and all his friends' banks, and I'm gonna take that money and make sure he knows who did it. I'll make him regret what he did for the rest of his life," he finished viciously.

"You know dang well that's not why you're gonna rob those banks, Heyes. But if you want to think it's for revenge, that's fine by me if it'll make you feel better." Kid's knowing smile offered his support for whatever his partner ultimately decided to do.

A gong sounded faintly in the distance.

"Time for dinner," Kid said. "You comin'?"

Unsurprisingly, Heyes shook his head.

Kid walked back to the bunkhouse, leaving Heyes staring into the river, his hopes and dreams floating away with the current.

THE END


End file.
